Employee volunteerism

Our approach

Imperial was one of the first oil and gas companies in Canada to offer grants to non-profit and charitable organizations where its people volunteer. Our volunteer program allows employees, retirees and their spouses who have volunteered a minimum of 20 hours at an eligible organization up to $1,000 in funding to support their organization.

In 2009, 272 employees, retirees and their spouses logged more than 7,500 hours of volunteer time as part of the program and more than $211,000 in grants was issued to 218 organizations. In the last five years, this program has awarded more than $1.1 million to community organizations across the country.

Employee Bob Phaneuf has been volunteering at Vertigo Mystery Theatre for almost two years. In 2009, the organization received $1,000 through Imperial’s Volunteer Involvement Program (VIP).

United Way

Imperial recognizes the positive effects United Way-Centraide has made in communities and is a strong supporter of its campaigns across Canada. Each year, we are a leading corporate participant in Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton in terms of employee contributions and volunteer hours, and in smaller centres our contributions make up a significant share of total dollars raised. In 2009, our company, in partnership with employees and retirees from Imperial and ExxonMobil companies in Canada, contributed $3.7 million to United Way-Centraide campaigns. Imperial’s campaign saw more than 1,000 employees and retirees participate as volunteers in Day of Caring activities, which benefited numerous agencies across Canada.

In 2009, Imperial introduced the “gift that gives back” – a limited edition $25 Esso United Way gift card available at approximately 650 participating Esso retail sites across Canada. For every card sold, Imperial donated $2 to the United Way. The promotion raised $170,000 for the United Way.

Esso retailers support the community

For Esso-branded retailers and associates, most of whom are independent small business operators, the company runs the Esso Community Program, which provides retailers and associates with matching financial support of up to $1,000 for a local activity in which they are involved.

In 2009, the program, including Imperial contributions, raised more than $290,000 to support nearly 200 community initiatives across Canada. These ranged from supporting food banks to sponsoring local sporting events and teams to raising funds for hospitals and children’s programs.

For many years, Imperial and Esso retailers have been active supporters of hockey at all levels across Canada. One of Esso’s signature hockey sponsorships is the annual Esso Minor Hockey Week in Calgary. The tournament is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s biggest minor ice hockey tournament, and 2009 was the 30th year that Esso has been the main sponsor.

Karen Fraser, sponsorship advisor, Imperial Oil, drops the puck at the opening ceremony of the 2009 Esso Minor Hockey Week in Calgary.

Regional benefits

In addition to our direct benefits to key stakeholders, we also benefit regional economies across the country through employment, wealth-generating investment and local spending on goods and services.

Central Canada

For more than a century, our company has contributed to Central Canada’s economy through jobs, taxes, the supply of products, and procurement of goods and services.

Formed in the 1880s with refineries at London and Petrolia, Ontario, Imperial has grown to become Ontario’s largest oil refiner, with major refineries at Sarnia and Nanticoke. The Sarnia complex also includes a large chemical manufacturing plant, a lubricating products manufacturing and packaging operation, and a research group providing technical support to the lubricants business. Additional benefits are provided by our position as the leading retailer and distributor of petroleum products in Ontario and Quebec.

Atlantic Canada

We operate a refinery in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, have a nine percent interest in the Sable offshore energy project and are actively exploring offshore areas of the Atlantic Coast, holding exploration interests in offshore Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Western Canada

Our landmark discovery at Leduc, Alberta, in 1947 was instrumental in shaping the modern Canadian petroleum industry and fundamentally changed the nature of Western Canada’s economy. Since then, we have continued to play a leadership role. We operate a major refinery in Strathcona County, near Edmonton, as well as a network of Esso-branded service stations across Western Canada. Since the 1960s, we have helped to pioneer development of Alberta’s oil sands through investments in Syncrude Canada, the Cold Lake operation and our oil sands research facility in Calgary. The company’s head office in Calgary is home to about 1,500 employees, who in turn contribute to the city’s economy.

The Kearl oil sands project would expand our presence in the Alberta oil sands, and provide economic and social benefits to Canadians locally, provincially and across the country for decades to come.

Northern Canada

We have also been active in energy development in Canada’s North since the discovery of oil at Norman Wells in 1920. Today we operate an oil field there and continue to play a lead role in the Mackenzie gas project, a proposed natural gas pipeline system that would connect northern onshore gas fields with North American markets. With ExxonMobil Canada (50-50 interest), we have acquired extensive, multi-year exploration rights in the Beaufort Sea that cover more than 500,000 acres.